[diskmag] Info Guide #11

You may have noticed that I don't regularly post about disk/paper/pdf magazines here anymore. This is because most of them tend to focus on gaming, collecting, and other "retro" issues, which are somewhat beyond the scope of this blog.

Alone Coder's legendary ZX Spectrum mag "Info Guide" is an exception in that respect, as it focuses predominantly on developement and coding. You'd have a hard time finding such a massive knowledge base in diskmag form anywhere else.

For the first time, the mag is now also available in English. And it also has an article by yours truly, of course on the topic of 1-bit/beeper music ;)

download/discuss

Lotek64 - Final Issue

Another one bites the dust :( After 12½ years and 50 issues, the German language Commodore papermag "Lotek64" is discontinued in it's current form. The editors cite a lack of funding and an overbearing workload as the main reasons.

Having been an avid reader of the mag for many years, I'm of course unhappy about the news. However, Lotek64 has plans to continue in digital form, so keep an eye out on the website. There, you can also download the latest issue (published today) as well as all the other issues in pdf format.

Spectrum Today Issue 00 Now Available in English

Issue 00 of the new Speccy-related PDF magazine Spectrum Today has been translated to English. The original Slovak language version came out in May, so the contents are still reasonably fresh.

Put together by ellvis of zeroteam, the mag is an excellent read. Originally, I wanted to just quickly browse through it before posting about it here, but ended up reading the whole thing because it's just so well written and put together.

On 28 tightly packed pages, Spectrum Today covers mainly a lot of the great recent game releases which I somehow never get around to reviewing here. It also looks a bit into the demoscene, and has a very nice section on programming aimed mostly at beginners.

Download Issue 00

[diskmag] Game Corner Q2/2014

And another previously overlooked release. At least this one isn't half a year old ;)

Game Corner is a fairly young C64 diskmag put together by Didi of Laxity. As the name suggests, it focuses exclusively on games. Read this if you want to catch up on all those great new titles that I don't get around to reviewing here because I'm not much of a gamer, or check out what's been going on in the cracking scene lately. It's also worth checking this out just for the dark, atmospheric soundtrack by celticdesign.

Download at CSDb.

[magazine] Lotek64 #49 Released

A new issue of what is arguably the most popular German language Commodore magazine Lotek64 has been released. Expect a truckload of hardware, software, and music reviews as well as a number of in-depth articles and interviews.

Download it here or order a physical copy at Lotek64's website.

Reset #03 Published

A new issue of the Commodore themed PDF magazine Reset has been published. Get it here.

Monochrome #5 Published

Issue #5 of Monochrome, the one and only magazine for ZX81 and compatibles, has just been released in PDF format. It includes great game and hardware reviews, a party report from this year's ZX81 Meeting in Mahlerts, and more cool stuff.

Check it out here!

Commodore Free #79 Released

The new issue of Nigel Parker's Commodore mag is out! Haven't checked it yet, but judging from the TOC it will be well worth the read, as always. Check the online version or grab your d64/tap/pdf/txt here.

Commodore Free #78 Released

I always forget to announce this... well, not this time. A new issue of the "Commodore Free" magazine has been released.

The magazine, which covers news, game reviews and programming tips and tricks for all Commodore machines (with a focus on the 8-bitters), has been around for a long time. I'm amazed Nigel Parker still continues to release new issues regularly after so many years, especially considering that he writes most of the content himself. A big round of applause for that!

Anyway, chances are that if you're a Commodorian, you've already got the new issue. If not, then head over to commodorefree.com to grab your pdf/txt/d64/whatever download or read it online here.

Vandalism News #61 Published

Onslaught has released another Vandalism News already! I've only looked at it briefly so far, but it seems like a great read as always. The highlight in this issue is an in-depth interview with the legendary LFT aka Linus Åkesson. Head over to CSDb to download your latest copy of this excellent C64 diskmag.

Reset #02 - New C64 PDF Magazine

Last november, a new Commodore-themed PDF magazine called "Reset" appeared on the stage. A few days ago, issue #2 was released.

It may not impress graphically, but wow! a massive 70 pages packed with game, music, and hardware reviews (including a full overview over the RGCD 2013 16kb Cartridge Game Compo), scene news and other neat stuff surely makes up for that.

Don't hesitate to head over to reset.cbm8bit.com and grab your free copy.

Scene World #22 Released

Issue #22 of the C64 diskmag "Scene World" has just been released, featuring scene news (obviously), programming tutorials, and in-depth interviews with video game legends Ralph Baer, David Crane, and C64DTV inventor Jeri Ellsworth, among other things. Check it out.

New Print Publications - Homebrew Heroes and CHIP Special Edition

Homebrew Heroes is a brand new mag/book about, well, the homebrew scene, made by some folks from the retrovideogamer.co.uk team. Copying info from the producers:

Homebrew Heroes is more than just a magazine, it's over 100 pages of retro goodness dedicated to all things homebrew. Inside you will find the top 10 homebrew games for near enough every retro console out there from the Atari 2600 to the Sega Dreamcast as well as the history of each system, tech specs and screenshots. But that is not all, not even close, we also tell you how to build your own home computer and speak to somebody who has. Alongside this we bring you the history of DIY home computing through the ages. Want to read interviews with homebrew developers? We have those for you too!

Well, sounds like a good plan to me. The preview looks pretty rad, and for just 3,99 £, this seems like a pretty good deal in any case.

German computer mag CHIP surprises us with another special edition. This one is titled "Kult-Computer der 80er". Expect a whooping 148 pages of well-researched 8- and 16-bit computer history.

I haven't read this one yet, but going by previous experience, it will definately be worth the money. Printed copies are available for 9,95 EUR, or you can obtain a digital download code for 6,95 EUR.

Lotek64 #46 and Commodore Fan Gazette #2 Published

Two new non-English language publications on classic computing matters have been released in the past weeks.

First we have a issue #46 of the Austrian mag Lotek64.

Founded in 2002, Lotek64 is one of the longest running fan-made magazines in the German-speaking 8-bit scene. It primarily focuses on 8-bit Commodore machines, although it does have a fair share of information on other platforms as well.

The current issue features, among other things, a translation of Carl Attrill's theoretical writings on "Retro Computing", a report on the restauration of a very rugged PET 2001, and a tribute to the 20th birthday of the Pentium, asking if 20 years means that the Pentium is now retro.

So, time to dust off the German dictionaries and fire up the translation tools of your choice. All issues of Lotek64 are available as free pdf download here, or you can subscribe to the printed issue for just the shipping costs.

Also just in: the second issue of Italian mag Commodore Fan Gazette.

I don't speak Italian, yet from just flipping through it I'd say this looks very promising, both visually and content-wise. There are a whooping 64 pages with game reviews, a large programming section as well as hardware-related topics. The mag focuses on the whole range of Commodore computers.

Commodore Fan Gazette is available as free pdf download here.

Issue 3 of ZX Spectrum Gamer Out Now

A new issue of what is arguably the funniest 8-bit themed magazine out there has just been released. ZX Spectrum Gamer isn't so much about reviewing games (or post-viewing, as the magazine puts it), as it is about cracking jokes at the expense of obscure titles from the Speccy library. As such, it holds a lot of appeal even for casual gamers like myself.

In this issue, author Paul of Sunteam takes a look at MAD's Amaurote, the notoriously crappy Gerry the Germ, and Kokotoni Wilf. No, I'm not making these title up, those game actually exists and can be found in the World of Spectrum archives, where you can also play them in your browser if you don't own a Speccy and/or are too lazy to install an emulator.

Well. First of all, a magazine that starts with a rant against insects must be good. Finally somebody is realizing that insects are in fact the arch nemesis of humankind and should be eliminated as soon as possible. Especially wood ticks. But I digress.

All in all, I found the slightly sarcastic humour present throughout the magazine to be absolutely gorgeous, even though some of the pop cultural references might be lost on non-Brits. Also, the whole thing is very well designed and a pleasure to read on-screen.

My only complaint is that it's merely 20 pages long, but considering the whole thing is the work of just one person, that argument is simply invalid. So, a solid 10 out of 10 potatoes for this hilarious production.

The magazine can be found here. In case you have problems with the online viewer, a download link is provided on Sunteam's homepage, where you'll also have access to the previous two issues of ZX Spectrum Gamer, as well as an extensive back catalogue of the sister publication PC Engine Gamer.